Muscatine County Says No to Bike Routes

The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors has said no to a proposal that would install bike route and share the road signs along 90 miles of secondary roadways. The supervisors who opposed the vote cited liability concerns.

The plan was brought forward by Muscatine County Trails and was supported by the Muscatine County Conservation Board, the Muscatine Visitors Bureau, the Park Ranger at Wildcat Den State Park, the Muscatine Bike Club, and local businesses.

Muscatine County Trails had offered to pay the complete cost of the project, including installation.

The signs proposed to be used were yellow “Share The Road” warning signs and green/white “Bike Route” advisory signs. Both signs are nationally recognized in the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Muscatine is home to several nationally designated routes. The American Discovery Trail runs from the East Cost to the West Coast of the United States. The Mississippi River Trail runs from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico along both sides of the Mississippi. Both trails intersect in Muscatine County.

“We are obviously disappointed with this decision,” says Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. “The Muscatine County Attorney researched the immunity issue and provided supporting information to the board. Bicycle liability is complicated because lawsuits are rare. We've seen one lawsuit in 38 years that included a roadway issue against a county.”

“The real losers are the citizens of Muscatine County. Here is the opportunity for 90 miles of bikeways on shared roads. It would take $27 million to create a separated trail system that extensive. Other counties have made investments in bikeways are enjoying the heath, tourism, and enconomic benefits.

Bicyclists are still welcome to use the proposed roadways. Iowa Code allows bicycles to use any road that isn't an Interstate highway.

Video of the meeting:

Video of the public input session: